Bible: Judges 6-9

Oppression and Confrontation

6:1The Israelitesdidevilin the Lord’ssight,1sothe Lordturned them overto2 Midianfor sevenyears.6:2The Midianites3overwhelmedIsrael.4Becauseof Midianthe Israelitesmadeshelters5for themselves in the hills, as well as cavesand strongholds.6:3Wheneverthe Israelitesplantedtheir crops,6the Midianites, Amalekites, and the people from the eastwould attackthem.76:4They invadedthe land8and devoured9its crops10all the wayto Gaza. They leftnothingfor the Israelitesto eat,11and they took away12 the sheep, oxen, and donkeys.6:5Whentheyinvaded13with their cattleand tents, they were as thick14as locusts. Neither they nor their camelscould be counted.15They cameto devour16the land.6:6Israelwasso severely weakenedby Midianthat the Israelitescriedout tothe Lordfor help.

Gideon Summons an Army and Seeks Confirmation

6:33Allthe Midianites, Amalekites, and the peoplefrom the east76assembled. They crossedthe Jordan River77 and campedin the JezreelValley.6:34The Lord’sspirittook controlof78 Gideon. He blewa trumpet,79summoningthe Abiezritesto followhim.806:35He sentmessengersthroughoutManassehand summonedthem to followhim as well.81He alsosentmessengersthroughout Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, and they came upto meethim.

6:36GideonsaidtoGod, “Ifyou reallyintend to use me to deliverIsrael,82asyou promised, then give me a sign as proof.836:37Look, I amputtinga woolfleeceon the threshing floor. Ifthere is dewonly onthe fleece, and the groundaround it84 is dry, then I will be sure85thatyou will use me to deliverIsrael,86asyou promised.”6:38The Lord did as he asked.87 Whenhe got upthe next morning, he squeezedthe fleece, and enough dewdrippedfromitto filla bowl.886:39GideonsaidtoGod, “Pleasedo notget angryat me, whenI askfor justone moresign.89 Please allow me one more testwith the fleece. This time makeonlythe fleecedry, while the groundaround it is covered with dew.”906:40ThatnightGoddidas heasked.91 Onlythe fleecewas dryand the groundaround it wascovered with dew.

Gideon Reduces the Ranks

7:1Jerub-Baal(thatis, Gideon) and his men92got upthe next morning and campednearthe spring of Harod.93The Midianites94were campednorthof them near the hillof Morehin the valley.7:2The LordsaidtoGideon, “You have too manymenfor meto handMidianoverto you.95 Israelmightbrag,96 ‘Our own strength has deliveredus.’977:3Now, announceto the men,98 ‘Whoeveris shakingwith fear99may turn aroundand leaveMountGilead.’”100Twenty-twothousandmen101went home;102tenthousandremained.7:4The LordspoketoGideonagain, “There are stilltoo manymen.103Bring them downtothe waterand I will thin the rankssomemore.104 WhenI say, ‘Thisone should gowithyou,’ pick himtogo;105when I say,106 ‘Thisone should notgowithyou,’ do nottakehim.”1077:5So he brought the men108downtothe water. Then the Lordsaid toGideon, “Separate those who lapthe waterasa doglapsfrom those whokneelto drink.”1097:6Threehundredmenlapped;110the restof the men111kneeledto drinkwater.7:7The LordsaidtoGideon, “With the threehundredmenwho lappedI will deliverthewholearmy112and I willhandMidianover to you.113 The rest of the menshould gohome.”1147:8Themen115who were chosen116 tooksupplies117and their trumpets. Gideon118 sentallthe menof Israelback to their homes;119he kept only threehundredmen. Now the Midianites120were camped down below121in the valley.

7:19Gideontooka hundredmentothe edgeof the camp138at the beginningof the middlewatch, just afterthey had changedthe guards. They blewtheir trumpetsand brokethe jarsthey were carrying.1397:20All threeunitsblewtheir trumpetsand broketheir jars. They heldthe torchesin their left handand the trumpetsin their right.140Then they yelled, “A swordfor the Lordand for Gideon!”7:21They stoodin order141 all aroundthe camp. The wholearmyranaway; they shoutedas they scrambledaway.1427:22When the threehundredmen blewtheir trumpets, the Lordcaused the Midianites to attack oneanotherwith their swords143throughout144the camp. The armyfledtoBeth Shittahon the way to Zererah. They went145 tothe borderof Abel MeholahnearTabbath.7:23IsraelitesfromNaphtali, Asher, and Manassehanswered the calland chasedthe Midianites.146

Gideon Appeases the Ephraimites

7:24Now Gideonsentmessengersthroughoutthe Ephraimitehill countrywho announced, “Go downand head offthe Midianites.147Take controlof the fords of the streams148all the way toBeth Barahand the Jordan River.”149When allthe Ephraimiteshad assembled,150they took controlof the fords151all the way toBeth Barahand the Jordan River.7:25They capturedthe twoMidianitegenerals, Oreband Zeeb.152They executedOrebon the rockof Oreband Zeeb153in the winepressof Zeeb. They chasedthe Midianites154and broughtthe headsof Oreband ZeebtoGideon, who was now on the other sideof the Jordan River.155

Gideon Tracks Down the Midianite Kings

8:4Now Gideonand his threehundredmenhad crossed overthe Jordan River, and even though they were exhausted, they were still chasingthe Midianites.1618:5He saidto the menof Succoth, “Give162some loavesof breadto the men163who are following me,164becausethey areexhausted. I amchasingZebahand Zalmunna, the kingsof Midian.”8:6The officialsof Succothsaid, “You have not yet overpoweredZebahand Zalmunna. Sowhy should we give165breadto your army?”1668:7Gideonsaid, “Sinceyou will not help,167 after the Lordhands Zebahand Zalmunnaoverto me, I will thresh168your skin169with170desertthornsand briers.”8:8He went upfrom thereto Penueland made the same request.171The menof Penuelrespondedthe same way the menof Succothhad.1728:9He alsothreatened173the menof Penuel, warning,174 “When I returnvictoriously,175I will teardown thistower.”

8:10Now Zebahand Zalmunnawere in Karkorwiththeir armies. There were about fifteenthousandsurvivorsfrom the armyof the easternpeoples; a hundredand twentythousandsword-wieldingsoldiers had been killed.1768:11Gideonwent upthe roadof the nomads177eastof Nobahand Jogbehahand ambushedthe surprisedarmy.1788:12When Zebahand Zalmunnaranaway, Gideon179 chasedthemand capturedthe twoMidianitekings, Zebahand Zalmunna. He had surprised180their entirearmy.

Gideon Rejects a Crown but Makes an Ephod

8:22The menof IsraelsaidtoGideon, “Rule over us – you, your son, and your grandson. For you have delivered us from Midian’s power.”1978:23Gideonsaidtothem, “Iwill notruleover you, norwill my sonruleover you. The Lordwill ruleover you.”8:24Gideoncontinued,198 “I would like to make one request. Eachof you giveme anearringfrom the plunderyou have taken.”199 (The Midianites200 had goldearringsbecausetheywere Ishmaelites.)8:25They said, “We are happy to giveyouearrings.”201 So they202 spreadout a garment, and each onethrewan earringfrom his plunderonto it.8:26The total weightof the goldearringshe requestedcame to seventeen hundredgoldshekels.203 This was in addition tothe crescent-shaped ornaments, jewelry,204purpleclothingworn bythe Midianitekings, and the necklaceson the camels.2058:27Gideonused all this to make206an ephod,207which he putin his hometownof Ophrah. Allthe Israelites208prostitutedthemselvesto it by worshiping it209 there. It becamea snareto Gideonand his family.

Israel Returns to Baal-Worship

8:33AfterGideondied, the Israelitesagainprostitutedthemselves to the Baals. They madeBaal-Berith217their god.8:34The Israelitesdid notremaintrue218 to the Lordtheir God, who had deliveredthem from allthe enemieswho lived around them.8:35They did nottreat219the familyof Jerub-Baal(that is, Gideon) fairlyin return for allthe goodhe haddonefor Israel.

9:12 “So the treessaidto the grapevine, ‘Youcomeand be our king!’2449:13But the grapevinesaidto them, ‘I am not going to stopproducing my wine, which makesgodsand menso happy, just to swayabovethe other trees!’245

God Fulfills Jotham’s Curse

9:22Abimelechcommanded263Israelforthreeyears.9:23Godsenta spiritto stir up hostility264betweenAbimelechand the leadersof Shechem. He made the leadersof Shechemdisloyal265to Abimelech.9:24He did this so the violentdeaths of Jerub-Baal’sseventysonsmight be avenged and Abimelech, their half-brother266whomurderedthem, might have to payfor their spilled blood, alongwith the leadersof Shechemwhohelpedhim murderthem.2679:25The leadersof Shechemrebelled againstAbimelech by putting268banditsin269 the hills, who robbedeveryonewhotraveledby onthe road. But Abimelechfound outabout it.270

9:26Gaalsonof Ebed271camethroughShechemwith his brothers. The leadersof Shechemtransferredtheir loyalty to him.2729:27They went outto the field, harvestedtheir grapes,273squeezed outthe juice,274 and celebrated. They cameto the temple275of their godand ate, drank, and cursedAbimelech.9:28Gaalsonof Ebedsaid, “Whois Abimelechand whois Shechem, thatwe should servehim? Is he notthe sonof Jerub-Baal, and is not Zebulthe deputyhe appointed?276 Servethe sonsof Hamor, the fatherof Shechem! But whyshould weserveAbimelech?2779:29If onlythesemen278were under my command,279I would get ridof Abimelech!” He challengedAbimelech,280 “Muster281your armyand come outfor battle!”282

9:30When Zebul, the citycommissioner, heardthe wordsof Gaalsonof Ebed, he was furious.2839:31He sentmessengerstoAbimelech, who was in Arumah,284reporting, “Beware!285 Gaalsonof Ebedand his brothersare coming286to Shechemand incitingthe cityto rebel againstyou.2879:32Now, come up288at nightwithyourmen289and set an ambushin the fieldoutside the city.2909:33In the morningat sunrisequicklyattackthe city. When he and his mencome outtofight you, dowhatyou canto him.”291

9:42The next daythe Shechemites307cameoutto the field. When Abimelechheard about it,3089:43he tookhis men309and dividedthem into threeunitsand set an ambushin the field. When he sawthe peoplecomingoutof the city,310he attackedand struckthem down.3119:44Abimelechand his units312attacked and blocked313the entranceto the city’sgate. Twounitsthen attackedallthe people inthe fieldand struckthem down.9:45Abimelechfoughtagainst the cityallthat day. Hecapturedthe cityand killedall the peoplein it. Then he leveled314the cityand spreadsaltover it.315

9:50Abimelechmovedon329 toThebez; he besiegedand capturedit.3309:51There wasa fortified331tower332in the centerof the city, so allthe menand women, as well as the city’sleaders, raninto it and lockedthe entrance. Then they went uptothe roofof the tower.9:52Abimelechcameand attackedthe tower. When he approachedthe entranceof the towerto set it on fire,9:53a womanthrewanupper millstone333down onhis334headand shatteredhis skull.9:54He quicklycalledtothe young manwho carriedhis weapons,335 “Drawyour swordand killme, sothey will not say,336 ‘A womankilledhim.’” So the young manstabbedhim and he died.9:55When the IsraelitessawthatAbimelechwas dead, they wenthome.337